Fire-escape ladder



(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet, '1.

J. P. H- KING.

Fire-Escape Ladder. v No. 228,647. Patented June 8,1880.

WITNESSES: g VENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

(MadeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. F. H." KING. Fire-Escape Ladder.

No; 228,647. Patented Jun- 8,1880.

f TNESS'ES: INVENTOR:

f/w/m, 7 'dd wio/V" I BY I ATTORNEYS.

mPErEns. PnomLmloGflAPuER, wtsummon. 04 Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. H. KING, OF PORT RICHMOND, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,647, dated June 8,1880.

Application filed March '2, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. H. KING, of Port Richmond, in the county ofRichmond and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedFire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of portable fire-escapes which aremoved from place to place upon a truck and elevated at the place of use.

The invention consists in a mast mounted upon a truck, so as to beraised and supported in a vertical position ,for sustaining a swingingladder when the escape is in use, and to be lowered with the ladder intoa horizontal position on the truck for transportation.

The details of construction are more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectionalelevation of my fire-escape in position for use. Fig. 2 is a sectiontransversely of the truck, showing the connection of the mast-slide tothe truck and the truck-braces. Fig. 3 is a View showing the connectionof the ladder to the mast. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is an elevation, showing thefire-escape in position for transportation.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The supporting-truck a is mounted on wheels and carries a sliding block,b, fitted to move in grooves c in the sides of truck a, to which blockbis connected one half of the platform (I. The other half of d is fixedto the truckc, and when in position, as shown in Fig. 1, the mast 6passes through the center of platform (I, through block b and truck a,to the ground, where its end rests in a step, f.

g 9, Fig. 2, are braces hinged to d, and extending to the ground at eachside of the truck to steady it. h h are ropes or chains from braces g tostep f, for retaining the braces in position. 2' is a ladder fixed tomast e, extending from platform cl to the cross-tree 7c of the mast, andhaving fitted to its lower end the shafts of barrels Z m, that are usedfor elevating the ladder and raising and lowering the basket, athereinafter described. it is the main ladder, hung by trunnions 0 oncross-tree k, so that about two-thirds of its length will be (ModeL)above the mast when elevated. It is raised into the position shown inFig. l by ropes p, which are connected to the mast a by alink at q, passthrough links at the lower end of ladder n, and from thence aroundbarrel l, so that by winding ropes p on the barrel l the ladder n willswing on its trunnions to a more or less elevated position.

At the lower end of ladder n is a ladder, q, hung upon a bar, 4", thatis fitted to slide in grooves in the sides of ladder a, so as to bedrawn down to rest on the ground when the escape is elevated. At theupper end of ladder n is a sheave, 8, through which passes a rope, t,from barrel m, and u is a basket hung on rope t, which can be used tolower persons from windows.

The ladder n is braced by guy-ropes attached at its ends and passingthrough stretchers c, that extend from the trunnions 0, which stretchersmay be turned down by hand parallel with ladder at when it rests on thetruck. When the mast is raised clear of the truckfloor the hoisting-ropeis slacked and the foot of the mast started in the right direction bysuitable mechanism.

To lower the mast c and ladder n, I make use of a Windlass, w,journaledon truck a and carrying a rope, 10, that passes down through block b andmast e, and is connected to the fixed portion of platform 61 above blockb. By winding rope w the mast and ladder are raised until the end of themast is above the lower side block, b, when rope w is slacked to permitthe block b and one half of platform at to slide upon the truck, thefoot of the mast moving with them, and its other portion lying upon thefixed part of platform d. At the same time the Windlass l is turned toslack ropes 19 until the mast and ladder lie upon the truck in theposition shown by Fig. 4. The braces g g are then to be raised upon thetruck-platform, pushed inward, and the apparatus is ready fortransportation, and can be elevated by a reversal of the operation.

I am aware that the swinging stretchers for guy-ropes and theWindlass-rope and basket are not new in fire-escapes; but

-What I claim as new and of my invention 1s-- 1. The combination, withmast e, of the ladder n, trunnion at top of said mast, and the ladder q,sliding in said ladder n, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a truck a, of a mast c,swinging ladder 02, Windlass l, and rope 19, arranged for operationsubstantially as described.

3. The combination, with the mast 0, ladder n, and truck a, of thesliding block 1), platform (I, Windlass w, and rope 20, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

4. The braces g, step f, and ropes or chains h, in combination With thetruck a and mast a, substantially as and for the purposes de- 15scribed.

5. The combination of the mast e and fixed ladder i, having Windlass w,with the ladder n, having top pulley, s, a rope being made to pass fromWindlass and over said pulley, as 20 and for the purpose specified.

JOHN F. H. KING.

Witnesses O. SEDGW'ICK, GEO. D. WALKER.

